There's No Place Like Home
by T-man626
Summary: After the events of "Ripple Effect", one of the alternate teams returns home. Sam/Jack, Daniel/Janet. AU. R&R please!


**Author's Note:** This story is inspired by the events of epsiode 913 "Ripple Effect". I wanted to show what the lives of one of the alternate SG-1s looked like, and my mind latched on to the team that had Janet and Martouf. Hope you like it. R&R please!

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There's No Place Like Home

"Unscheduled off-world activation!" The sound of Chief Master Sergeant Walter Harriman's voice over the PA system and the accompanying sirens sent Major General Jack O'Neill out of his office and down the stairs to the control room with Teal'c right behind him.

"Who is it Walter?" Jack asked the tech.

"Receiving SG-1's IDC," Harriman replied.

"Open it." Teal'c was already headed for the 'gate room; Jack took off after him. They arrived just as the last member of SG-1 stepped through the 'gate. "Do you people have any idea what time it is?"

"Sorry sir," Lt. Colonel Cameron Mitchell spoke up. "We wound up taking a little side trip."

"The fate of the planet hangs in the balance and you take the scenic route?" Jack's voice continued to climb. "I sent you people out _four days ago_! SGs 3 and 14 have been over that planet with a fine tooth comb…"

"It wasn't intentional, sir," Dr. Janet Fraiser cut in. "But we did get this." She motioned to Mitchell who held up the yellow plastic case he was carrying.

"Which is?"

"The cure to the Prior's plague, Jack," Dr. Daniel Jackson spoke up.

"Sir," Dr. Fraiser broke in before Jack could say anything, "with your permission, I need to get this to the infirmary NOW."

"Go," Jack told her. "We'll debrief in three hours."

The doctor nodded in thanks and departed the 'gate room at high speed with the other members of SG-1. Jack whistled. "This is going to be an interesting debriefing."

"Indeed," Teal'c agreed.

Two hours and fifty minutes later, Daniel knocked on the door of Janet's office. "Janet?"

"Come in," her voice called. Daniel opened the door to reveal his wife sitting at her desk, still wearing the BDUs from the mission and wading through a stack of paperwork.

"This is a switch," he commented, causing her to look up. "Normally, you're the one dragging me out of my office."

Janet looked at the clock and smiled. "I'm aware of what time it is, Daniel," she commented, shutting the file she'd been reading and getting up from her seat. "I was just getting ready to leave."

"Right," Daniel drawled in a fair imitation of Jack, smiling as Janet and he headed for the elevator. "So," he said once the doors had closed and the elevator had started moving, "how are you doing?"

Janet smiled, staring straight ahead. "I'm doing fine."

"Liar," Daniel commented lightly. He reached out and put his arm around her. "Want to talk about it?"

"Later," she told him as the doors opened, depositing them on Level 27. Janet led the way to the briefing room, but came to an abrupt halt in the doorway, causing Daniel to run into her from behind. "Sam!" she exclaimed, ignoring Daniel's apology.

The blonde Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Carter turned from where she was standing at the window, smiling and talking to Martouf. "Janet, Daniel!" she greeted them, meeting them halfway and hugging the both of them. "It's good to see you both."

"You too," Daniel replied. "What are you doing here?"

Sam took a seat at the table. "Jacob and I came for a visit," she said, motioning to where Mitchell sat, holding a squirming two-month-old. "I wanted to come sooner, but--"

"I wouldn't let her," Jack broke in as he came out of his office and slid into his seat at the head of the table. Daniel, Janet, and Martouf also sat. "Doc," Jack addressed Janet, "I take it the cure is working?"

Janet nodded her head. "Yes sir. We had to alter it slightly, but it appears to be working fine. All personnel in the infirmary are better, and we're working on getting the medicine to the general population."

"Good," Jack nodded. "Now, about where you acquired the meds…" He launched into a series of questions about the alternate universe, which SG-1 and Janet did their best to answer. Two hours later, Jack wrapped things up. "Okay gang; get your reports to me within 48 hours. Dismissed." With that, he stood up and headed back to his office. Sam retrieved her son from Martouf, who was currently holding him, and followed, shutting the door behind her. "Oy," Jack commented, sitting behind his desk.

"Sounds like it," Sam agreed. Jacob was squirming in her arms, reaching towards Jack, so Sam passed the little boy over and sat in one of the other chairs. "Now that SG-1 and Janet are back, will you finally come home?"

"Maybe," Jack smiled slyly at his wife while their son yanked Jack's fingers. "I still have to call the President, but after that we can head home."

Sam nodded. "Come here, Jacob," she told the little boy as Jack passed him over. "Let's go visit Uncle Teal'c until Daddy's ready." She exchanged smiles with Jack before leaving the office.

Still smiling, Jack sat back in his chair. Thank God the President had finally made an exception for the two of them; Jack had seriously been considering retiring again so that he could finally be with Sam. But President Hayes had decreed both of them too important to the program, and so had given his personal permission for them to pursue a relationship. Now, nearly a year and a half later, they were married and had a son. Not bad at all. Jack shook his head and reached for the red phone, looking forward to heading home. After all, there was no place like it.

Janet had been quiet during the drive home, but when she and Daniel arrived home they saw another car pulling out of the driveway and Cassie standing on the porch with two duffel bags. She was home early from school, and Janet and Daniel were so glad to see her that it wasn't until after dinner that they finally discussed the mission.

Cassie offered to clean up from dinner, so Daniel went in search of Janet. He found her in the living room, looking at the photo album from their wedding. "It's later," Daniel commented as he joined her on the couch.

Janet looked over at him and smiled. "I know," she replied. She motioned to the album on her lap. "I was just thinking: they never got to experience any of this."

"You mean the Daniel and Janet from the other universe," Daniel checked.

Janet nodded. "Do you know what he told me?"

Daniel shook his head; even in the debriefing Janet hadn't spoken much about her conversation with the other Dr. Jackson. All that she had reported was that his Janet had died over a year ago.

"He said that the other me died on the mission to P3X-666. She was helping Airman Wells and was shot by a Jaffa."

Daniel remembered that ambush all too well. SG-13 had been exploring and was ambushed by Ba'al's Jaffa. One of their men, Senior Airman Simon Wells, had taken a staff blast to the back and couldn't be moved, so Janet had gone to him. Daniel had been with her; he had helped stabilize Wells while one of the other SG-13 members, Bosworth, had kept a lookout for enemies. Several times they'd heard gunshots close by, and Daniel had had to shoot a Jaffa that got past Bosworth, but they all got out of there. Thinking about it, Daniel realized that in the alternate universe they'd visited… "He didn't shoot that Jaffa."

Janet nodded her head in agreement. "He was using his video camera to record the Airman's farewell message."

"You wouldn't let me," Daniel remembered, realizing that that decision of Janet's had been the point where the two realities diverged. He looked over at Janet. Her head was bowed and her eyes closed tight. Even so, a tear escaped and traced its way down her cheek. Daniel moved the photo album to the coffee table and pulled her into a hug. "Hey, it's okay. It's okay," he soothed her, rubbing her back.

"Mom? Daniel?"

Cassie's voice caused Janet to pull out of Daniel's embrace. "What is it, Cass?" Daniel asked.

"Dinner's all cleaned up. I was going to head out and see some friends."

"Okay. Be home by eleven, alright?" Daniel turned around to see the young woman shooting him a questioning look. He nodded to show that they would be fine.

"Got it," Cassie agreed, although her concern for her mom was still evident in her eyes. She nodded to Daniel before heading for the front door.

Daniel turned back to Janet and pulled her into another hug. "You okay?" he asked her as he leaned back into the corner of the couch.

Janet shifted also, leaning against Daniel and stretching out her legs on the couch. "Mm-hm. It's just a little disturbing. Now I know how Sam felt when Dr. Carter came through that quantum mirror."

Daniel nodded in agreement, his mind going to the other Dr. Jackson. More than anything, Daniel pitied him. He'd never gotten to know Janet the way Daniel had, had never gotten to curl up with her while they watched a movie, never gone to a play with her and Cassie. Daniel tried to imagine that life, and felt a chill. What a lonely existence that had to be…

"You okay?" Janet echoed his earlier question to him.

Daniel blinked and realized that he had zoned out on her. "Yeah," he responded, looking down to meet her eyes. He smiled. "Just thinking how glad I am that there's no place like home."


End file.
